K16 and the art of soccer coaching

Abstract

In California and across the nation, many students entering postsecondary education upon high school graduation require remediation in English and math to meet college level expectations, including students that have taken a college-prep curriculum. In the California State University System (CSU), which accepts the top 33% of students in the state, 58% required some form of remediation upon entry in 2003. To lower remediation rates, the CSU created the Early Assessment Program (EAP), in which 11th grade students voluntarily take an exam that gives a measure of their college readiness. It is believed such an assessment that bridges the gap between high school competency and college expectations might be a lever for change to better integrate the two educational sectors. To better understand the implementation of this statewide effort, 56 individuals were interviewed across the state to include K12 teachers, counselors, principals, district administrators and higher education faculty regarding their understanding and implementation of the EAP at the school level. The test was not used in the fashion originally intended. Students did not receive feedback from the test in time to change senior year courses and systems had not been instituted at the school level to use the information. However, the visibility of the EAP did create numerous opportunities for K12 teachers and CSU faculty to engage in conversations about student work and college level expectations, particularly in English. New curriculum focusing on reading and writing of non-fiction text was collaboratively developed and delivered in classrooms across California. The EAP, an aligned assessment that bridges the knowledge gap between high school and college does appear to be a lever for change if opportunities are provided for teachers and college faculty to build relationships and focus on student work. Because the EAP model incorporated collaborative discussions across sectors, important gaps in student preparations were recognized and curriculum in English is being radically changed in California, likely leading to better student preparation and lower rates of remediation at CSU in the future. ^